I'm sorry if this has been asked, but I couldn't find anything. Since we prepay our own flights to China, is it possible to land a new job should the one you accepted on the internet not be a good fit? I wouldn't want to waste a bunch of money by running home instead of putting a plan B into action. The only doubt I have is that I severely lack knowledge on the subject of living and working in China though I have several years Korean experience.

Can those of you teaching in China list your plan B's to get a better idea of how all that can work if need be. I taught in Korea for three years and knew it required a letter of release or going to a different country though I completed all of those contracts without any major problems.

My plan B might be something like stay in a guesthouse while looking for a job that will send me on a visa run, and then move into the provided housing while starting the new job. I don't think my arranged job will be a failure, but I'm nervous as anyone would be flying to the other side on my own dime having not met them or know what exactly to expect. I'm hoping I actually receive the kind preferential treatment the Chinese lady in the US office explained to me about this one since I'm going to the hinterland frontier, but it might be a tough learning curve not knowing how to speak and read Mandarin well enough with very few foreigners and English speaking locals. I know I'll have to use a calculator at first, but will then begin to better understand how to talk a bargain and then read the place names on buses. I do have the necessary travel info in Chinese provided as it's not online nor on any tourist route. Thank you for helping me get a better idea of this endeavor I'm about to embark on. People claim the Chinese are very friendly and that's been my experience with all of them I've met in my life so far. Thanks.

If you are going with a z-visa (employment visa), then you are tied to the employer. The positive is that they have put time, effort and money into securing your services, so aren't as likely to present you with a nightmare scenario. The negative is that your permission to stay in China is tied to this employer. If things aren't working out, you would have to either get a release letter from them or simply leave the country (the z-visa is a single-entry visa but the employer secures a residence permit for the foreigner to stay for a period of up to one year). The school will want to cancel the residence permit so as not to continue being responsible for you and the local authorities would do just that and probably put in a very short term visitor visa, maybe 10 days, so you could pack, hop a bus, train or plane and leave.

If you have more time, and/or if you find other employment in the meantime, it may be possible for you to go to Hong Kong, or another country to re-enter the mainland on another work visa, but that is far from a sure bet.

If you come over on a visitor or business visa, the employer isn't tied to you and they can decide they don't want you without repercussions. They also won't cancel your visa. In that case, you may have more time to find another situation, but the same cautions for getting a legal, working visa apply: you may be able to get it relatively locally, but probably you would be required to return to your home country and apply at the Chinese consulate there.

My only plan B is to have enough money or credit to fly home if necessary. With more than that I would probably try to find something else in country or in a neighboring country. Could you find another job in Korea if need be, without flying home first? Southeast Asia and Japan might be possible as well.

Even though you are going to the way out, it would surprise me if you aren't approached by students or strangers offering to help you find your way around in exchange for helping them practice their English. I've known other foreigners with no Chinese skills who aren't dissuaded from traveling solo in China, probably because someone always ends up helping them communicate when necessary. Enjoy your trip!

You are allowed to come to China on a tourist L visa. You may not be able to work, but you can visit schools and decide. I was on a student visa, moved to a different city, hated the school I visited, and I left. I found another school (plan B) the next day within 24 hours. I then did a visa run and got a work visa.

If you sign a contract abroad you are gambling. There is way too much variance and too many lying employers. I would never commit to an employer for a year until I visited the school, saw the apartment, and walked around the vicinity where I would live.

Remember if you don't have a work visa your contract is totally unenforceable.
Legal contracts are dodgy anyway in PRC.
If Plan A is come over on a tourist visa, then Plan B must be don't come at all.
You're in the off season so use the time to prepare for a Feb or Sept start with everything legal.

My only plan B is to have enough money or credit to fly home if necessary. With more than that I would probably try to find something else in country or in a neighboring country. Could you find another job in Korea if need be, without flying home first? Southeast Asia and Japan might be possible as well.

I'm having problems with my current employer at the moment, an outfit that is as close to being called a McEFL School as any other on the planet.

Anyway Korea is out if you want a quick exit since preparing the criminal record check and other documents takes a lot of time.

I don't know if there is a third country we could jump to. Anyone any ideas?

i can not stress this enough, having piles of cash ready to go at any time of something happens is essential...you should even have foreign currency ($ or pounds say) cause it just makes things so much faster when it comes time to go...

do not live in china paycheck to paycheck, recipe for disaster right there.